ONLINE WATCH PARTY FOR THE DOCUMENTARY “Glowing in the Dark”

Get ready to immerse yourself into this vibrant neon scene of the 1990s. Set against a backdrop of spectacular neon footage of Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, this 1997 film is an illuminating exploration into the vibrant history and contemporary use of neon. The movement, power, and raw exuberance of neon is revealed through a fascinating demonstration of how neon is made, a montage of notable neon installations.and commentary from a colorful array of neon experts. Followed by a live Q&A with director and producer Harry Killas and Alan Goldman, plus John Atkins and Alan Hess! Watch the trailer.

Market Movie Marquees: Neon Nirvana
With Al Barna, Randall Ann Homan

Between the 1930s–1960s, Market Street was home to a dense collection of cinemas between 5th and 10th Streets, with extravagant neon marquees and projecting signs. All but three of these movie theaters are now closed, and several of them were demolished; now it is a treasure hunt to discover these beautiful and bygone neon signs where San Francisco’s movie-lovers gathered from the near-by Tenderloin, Union Square shops, and beyond.

Enter neon nirvana and spend an evening with Al Barna and Randall Ann Homan, founders of San Francisco Neon, with co-presenter Jim Van Buskirk, author of Celluloid San Francisco. Featuring interviews with San Francisco cinema historians. Followed by a live Q&A.

SF Shines and Manilatown
With Jeff Acido, Randall Ann HomanKiah McCarley, Sendy Santamaria, Shawna Peterson, and Manny Fabregas

The SF Shines grant project is designed for small businesses and non-profits to improve their storefronts and signage, including neon! This presentation is a look back at a year of grant projects that brightened San Francisco neighborhoods and historical sites with neon. Top of our list are the new signs designed to commemorate the landmark protest as tenant’s fought against the evictions at the International Hotel.

Neon Archeology: Electrode Curiosities
With Robert Haus

Robert Haus is a neon artist, historian, educator, vintage technology expert, and restorer. He is also the collector of vintage neon equipment. Robert takes us inside his cabinet of neon curiosities to share and demonstrate fascinating electrode artifacts for making neon signs, a technology that hasn’t changed in over 100 years.

Next Exit: Gas, Food, Lodging
With Debra Jane Seltzer

Do you love road trips, roadside attractions, old signs, and the unique Americana that was produced in the last century? Live vicariously! Every year Debra Jane Seltzer drives thousands of miles through small towns and large cities documenting what remains of the epic years of roadside America. We are lucky to have her RoadsideArchitecture.com as a resource, a massive catalog of splendid survivors and ghosts of neon’s past.

Optimistic Architecture: Googie Modern
With Michael Murphy and Alan Hess

Michael Murphy and Alan Hess have put together a remarkable book of drawings from the private archives of a forward-thinking trio—Armet, Davis, and Newlove—who were dubbed the Fathers of Googie. Their futuristic coffee shops and restaurants incorporated neon signage into the overall building scheme and made dining out a space-age experience, just as man was ready to walk on the moon. The Armet Davis Newlove architecture firm captured the optimistic mood in post-war America and set the bar high for what would become Mid-Century Modern style. Their high-concept designs shaped a Southern California “look” and then took off across the American landscape.

Learning in Las Vegas: Stardust
With Bill Concannon |

Neon artist and sign maker Bill Concannon was so fascinated by the Stardust Casino’s massive signs, he even wrote a college paper about the Stardust’s role in the cultural landscape. In the 70s and 80s, Bill cruised the sparkling neon streets of Las Vegas in a friend’s convertible, taking super 8 movies of spectacular signs. Join Bill for a show-and-tell session with his newly digitized Las Vegas neon footage.

Storytelling with Light: Inside the Disney Parks
With Steve Spiegel (One night only! This event will not be recorded.)

Neon was once used to illuminate amusement parks everywhere, and Disneyland was no exception. Drawing on vast archives, Steve Spiegel details both the history of neon and Disney through images. Called the “Imagineers,” Disney’s team of artists, writers, engineers, and technicians use neon and other forms of lighting to perfectly replicate movie houses from The Golden Age of Hollywood and transport audiences to hyper-realistic futuristic worlds. Story Editor Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering Steve Spiegel will present the history of luminous tubing in Walt Disney Company parks throughout the world.